Author: Albert Silver
Date: 14:01:55 06/13/00
Go up one level in this thread
On June 13, 2000 at 14:18:01, Chessfun wrote:
>On June 13, 2000 at 11:45:17, Mike Saavedra wrote:
>
>>A good commentary that persuaded me NOT to resubscribe to ICC was Ed Collins
>>article on his site "Why I Don't Pay for Internet Chess" at this link:
>>http://www.inficad.com/~ecollins/why-pay.htm
>>
>
>An interesting article, one I have read before.
>Makes you wonder though why ICC can't use sponsership
>to get there money and have free to all instead of just
>GM's IM's.
>
>Personally logging onto ICC as a guest and wanting to watch
>certain players even if it's only bullet it is a little sad not
>to be able to watch GM's.
>
>Thanks.
I read the article and thought it was very weak. It doesn't argue against
playing on ICC at all, but rather presents arguments along the lines of "don't
be a chump and pay to watch the games in the stadium when you can easily climb
up the fence on the side where no guards are watching, then set yourself up on
the lamppost, and see them just as well for no money at all!".
Yes, if you want to talk to your friends, don't pay to become a member of this
chessclub. Just stand outside the window and holler from there!
Blitz games in examine mode???? Right. That is clearly as exciting as watching
them live. Excitement? Who needs excitement? Furthermore, he won't benefit from
watching those games anyhow and would learn just as much watching the games
between two patzers. Perhaps. I don't really watch GM blitz games for
instruction; I watch them for their quality and the fun and blood.
It also read very much like a conspiracy theory: BlitzIn only accesses ICC.
hmmm... Suspicious.... Why does their proprietary software only provide access
to their club? Gee, I can't imagine.
As for sponsorship, it is a VERY difficult matter. Notice how the very US
Championship was initially called off due to lack of sponsorship. How would this
be brought about in any case? Banners in BlitzIn? It would also become delicate
as the only way to ensure the players are even exposed to the banners would be
by forcing them to use only one program to access it, whereas for the moment I
am not forced to see them, and can choose to play on ICC with whatever program I
like. Frankly speaking, for the benefits offered the yearly entry charge is
hardly exhorbitant. FICS is free, and that is a big argument no doubt, but free
also means you can make no demands whatsoever, on quality or features least of
all.
Albert Silver
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